


What's a Banished Prince to a Sky Bison?

by ForsoothDragon



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Appa (Avatar)-Centric, Appa bonding with Team Avatar while trying to figure out Zuko, Canon Compliant, Enemies to Friends, Gen, POV Animal, POV Appa (Avatar), Protective Appa (Avatar), Team Bonding, Team as Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, we all know the gaang thinks zuko is crazy s1-3 but what does appa think?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25304662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForsoothDragon/pseuds/ForsoothDragon
Summary: It doesn’t take much to incur the wrath of a ten-ton sky bison (don’t attack his friends) and by all means, Zuko should’ve been on Appa’s permanent hit list, but somewhere along the way this changed.Follow Team Avatar’s encounters with Zuko but in Appa’s POV.
Relationships: Appa & Iroh (Avatar), Appa & The Gaang, Appa & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 53
Kudos: 383





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I've ever written anything for a fandom and once I got started, it basically wrote itself. I already have the first 4 chapters done and I'll be updating once a week on Fridays. Chapter count may change depending on how much I write for the remaining chapters. I'll update tags as I go. 
> 
> "Appa's Lost Days" is one of my favorite episodes because we get a change in POV and since Appa does not speak, we pay more attention to how he reacts to his environment to figure out what he's thinking. It made me wonder "what /is/ Appa thinking during these episodes?" and Zuko really is a wild card popping up everywhere and keeping the team on their toes. Appa must have some thoughts on him.

Appa turned on his side and let out another low yawn. Several minutes ago, Aang had shouted, “Appa, wait here!” and he was still not back yet. 

He must have gone back for a second final goodbye to his new friends. The young airbender was having more fun than he did in a long time. 

Appa remembered the past few days how Aang had spent more time with him instead of the other young monks. His gloomy voice was muffled into Appa’s fur while he hugged his companion and said that the others won’t play with him anymore now that he’s the _Avatar _. Aang said that word like it left a bad taste.__

____

____

This whole day was the most Aang had smiled and laughed in a long time and that was unacceptable for such a kind spirit, if you would ask a sky bison his opinion. 

Appa was blinking sleepily into the distance when he spotted a dark shape through the fog. It was a ship cutting through the waters, a trail of smoke from its chimney leading his eyes back to a small cluster of tents and small dots rushing back and forth. 

He shot to his feet and immediately started toward the village. He needed to find Aang. _Now._

____

____

By the time he neared the village, the dark ship was already steadily sailing further away from his destination as Appa tried to lumber back as quickly as he could. 

Appa had never seen a ship like that before. Not ever in all his travels to take Aang to visit his friends. Looking at the ship made Appa feel nervous. Its menacing pointed bow was designed to intimidate. 

His limbs still ached and felt not quite comfortable yet but he managed to tromp over the small hill that overlooked the village. He let out a beckoning roar and looked around for the familiar flash of red and yellow but only spotted the two young Water Tribe teenagers rushing towards him. He couldn’t recall their names but he knew Aang had liked them. Well, the girl anyway. 

“Appa!” shouted the girl. 

He gave a concerned rumble at the lack of Aang by her side. 

“The Fire Nation has Aang. We need to catch that ship!” 

She peered up into his eyes, hoping that the large sky bison understood her.

Behind him, the Water Tribe boy was already tossing supplies into his saddle before hesitantly taking a step onto his tail. Appa lifted his tail and the boy flopped into the saddle with a loud squawk. The girl grinned before climbing onto his head and taking the reins. 

He turned and slid into the water, steadily paddling towards the retreating ship. The water didn’t soak through his thick fur, but the cold seeped in and made his joints feel more stiff. He gave off low groans now and then while trying to swim faster. 

The boy and the girl were speaking above him but he only caught the name “Aang” between every few words. His head still felt groggy and stuffed. The urgency in their voices was easier to understand. It made him lift his head and he took deep breaths to prepare to fly. 

“Yip yip” echoed through his head and he raised his heavy tail, slapping the water and pumping his limbs to bend the air around him and finally lifted off.

There was a deep, amused rumbling traveling through Appa’s body as the two shouted in glee above him. He hadn’t ever had other kids besides Aang flying him before. And by the sounds of it, these kids had never flown before either. 

He wondered if they'd like to travel the world with him and Aang. The young boy had always talked about visiting and riding dangerous animals from all over the world, but the old monks didn’t let him. 

He spotted a small dot in the water at the same time the girl shouted, “There!” and snapped the reins to guide him down. 

A flash of color stood out against the dark metal and they realized it was Aang on his glider. 

“Looks like the kid doesn’t need our help breaking him out after all!” the Water Tribe boy laughed. “Get close and we can—” 

They all gave startled shouts of dismay when a figure launched themselves at Aang and dragged him back down by the leg. The two tumbled across the deck and scrambled to face each other.

When Appa saw the assailant ready his fists to fight, he let out an angry roar. The two below looked up in shock. Aang’s face broke out in a large smile at the sight of the girl and boy on Appa’s back but he was turned away from the assailant and didn't see the other lift his fist. Appa spat a growl at the fireball after fireball Aang deflected, but the firebender overwhelmed him and Aang fell overboard into the icy waters. 

Appa’s low cry was lost to the girl’s frantic calls for Aang. 

Before he could reach the water, a sprout shot up from where Aang fell in, twisting like a vortex around a small, glowing body. _Aang._

____

____

The three in the air watched in amazement as all of the soldiers above deck were easily swatted away from a thick whip of water. 

Appa hovered from a safe distance, never before seeing this scale of waterbending from the airbender. 

Eventually, the water sprout dissipated and left Aang swaying dangerously on his feet. 

Appa landed on the deck with a concerned moan at the sight of Aang’s collapsed body. The girl and the boy rushed down his side to Aang. Appa released a loud sigh when the young boy blinked open his eyes and shakingly got to his feet with the girl’s help. She led him over to Appa and he flopped on top of the soft fur of Appa’s head and nuzzled in his face affectionately. 

“Thanks for coming for me, buddy,” Aang croaked softly into the fur. Appa responded with a gentle rumble. 

As all three kids climbed onto his back, he pumped his limbs and took off into the air. Quickly gaining distance from the ship when a voice shouted, “Shoot them down!” 

The roar of flames was getting louder when Aang stood from his head and jumped backwards onto the saddle. After hearing a loud explosion, the snowy cliffs off to his side crumbled down. 

Hearing the others’ triumphant giggles, Appa joined in with his own amused grumbles. Their giggles slowly died down. 

“So...I guess we need to drop you two back…?” Aang trailed off. 

“Actually, Gran Gran said we can go with you.”

“Really?!”

“Yup. Looks like you're stuck with us, buddy.”

“Hey! You were the one who didn’t want me around!”

“W-well,” the Water Tribe boy stuttered, “who else is capable enough to protect the Avatar’s back, if not me?”

The silence that followed after made Appa grumble. The soft vibrations encouraged Aang to speak. 

“Sorry I didn’t tell you I was the Avatar sooner.”

“It’s okay, Aang. You were only trying to hide from the Fire Nation, right?” the girl reasoned. 

“Yeah…” 

Appa remained silent when Aang trailed off again, not wanting to make it known that Aang had other reasons for not taking the Avatar title. He had confessed as much into Appa’s fur many times the past few days. 

“Let’s put it all behind us!” the Water Tribe boy chirped easily. “Where should we head first? I have this old map from my dad’s study.”

“Oh! You _have _to see the Southern Air Temple. It’s where I grew up!”__

____

____

At the mention of the temple, Appa gave an excited bellow. He couldn’t wait to go home where there were no scary firebenders trying to take Aang from him. 

With a strong beat of Appa’s tail, they lurched forward at the unexpected boost and the trio’s laughter rang out again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please subscribe for future chapters! And believe me, they are coming. Let me know your thoughts! I'm brand new at this and I tell myself to write for Me and not for others but I feedback helps me decide if I should keep posting. And let me know if there are other atla fics similar to this because I would love to read them.
> 
> And, yes, Appa does start using Katara's and Sokka's names after this chapter. I thought waking from a hundred-year sleep would make him care less about remembering names and more about staying awake.


	2. Smelly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically, I did say I would post every Friday and I posted the first chapter on a Thursday so here's the second chapter! I was too excited to wait a whole week anyway. Covers "The Waterbending Scroll" episode. Enjoy!
> 
> Edit: I went back and fixed the italics because I am still figuring out how this all works. Italics indicate Appa's thoughts.

The latest encounter with the Fire Nation left Appa more agitated than usual. There was no time for rest from the moment they encountered the blockade to the final seconds the young trio clambered into his saddle to escape the erupting volcano.

Appa thought back to the nice days on Kyoshi Island where he experienced the benefits of being the Avatar’s bison for the first time. All of the hay his five stomachs can take and endless hours of grooming. Aang would run up eagerly to him and gush about how much people liked and wanted him there. Appa would answer with a lazy hum; it _was _nice being fawned over.__

____

____

Now, Aang was frantically pacing on his back, voice growing louder in panic as he ranted to Sokka and Katara. 

“How am I supposed to master all four elements before the comet arrives!”

Katara’s gentle voice piped up and Appa felt the pacing stop.

“Calm down, Aang. If you want, I can try and teach you some of the waterbending I know.”

Sokka made a comment at that while sitting at the reins on top of his head. Appa felt a gentle pull after a moment as Sokka signalled him to begin his descent. 

That was how they all found themselves in front of a large waterfall. Appa let out a happy roar before jumping eagerly into the water. Rolling around in bliss as the soot and ash from the volcano washed away with the current. He heard small splashes near him and rolled back over to see Sokka approaching him grumpily. Appa roared a greeting. 

“Alright, big guy. Time for some pampering.”

Appa happily splashed his tail into the water. Usually, it was Aang or Katara who helped wash him. Aang, who had already spent years washing the large bison, was more than eager to have another helping hand. Katara’s waterbending was useful in moving the water through his fur but she couldn’t quite reach deep enough yet. He spotted Aang and Katara walking down the bank but turned back when he felt Sokka patting his side. 

Sokka was looking at the spots of burnt fur on the bison’s back when he made a face and pinched his nose. He took a sniff at his clothes and made a disgusted sound. Appa agreed. Those foul-smelling fireballs left a putrid stink deep into their clothes and his fur. The water seemed to make it worse. 

Sokka let out a groan and began to climb Appa’s side with his boomerang in his hand. He was muttering heatedly under his breath as he trimmed the scorched patches of fur off the large sky bison. The combing motion and soft sounds of snipping pulled a sleepy, throaty purr out of Appa. 

Meanwhile, he continued to hear Sokka grumbling under his breath. 

“Stupid, stupid fire jerk. All firebenders are jerks. Jerk benders. Heh. Jerkbenders. Gotta use that next time. Or maybe I should save it?” 

As Sokka continued to mutter and chuckle to himself, the tugging on his fur became less soothing and more ticklish. Appa let out a loud yawn and gave a full-body shake to settle his fur causing Sokka to yelp as he tumbled into the shallow water. 

“Appa!” Sokka sputtered while rubbing his backside. 

The large sky bison only answered with a pleased rumble. His nose twitched and he snorted as he caught the smell of putrid smoke still lingering in his fur and Sokka’s clothes. 

Sokka snorted back. 

“Yeah, that jerkbender got us good.”

Appa hummed questioningly. 

“The same one who’s been hunting us this entire time. With the scar and ugly ponytail. He showed up in that Avatar temple, too. Tried to drag Aang away and almost completely ruined our plans.”

Appa grumbled lowly. 

_This firebender again?_

____

____

He was the reason they had to leave their paradise on Kyoshi Island. Now they were left smelling like rotten seal jerky. He didn’t remember Fire Nation people being so unpleasant. Appa made another annoyed grumble. 

Sokka nodded his head sagely, “I agree, buddy.” 

Appa gave a wet lick down Sokka’s front. Slightly regretting the smoky taste, but it was amusing to watch Sokka groan again and flail his arms around. He shed his clothes and swished it around the water before wringing it out and waded back towards dry land. 

Appa turned onto his back and scrubbed his fur against the rocks at the bottom. Sokka returned with a leafy branch and climbed onto his large stomach to clean between his toes. Appa groaned appreciatively. _Sokka is my new favorite._

____

____

This sentiment held up when a shadow fell over them and Appa suddenly found himself drenched and Sokka was swept away under the water. He spotted Aang standing a few meters away, a sheepish grin on his face. 

Sokka re-emerged with a scathing look and snapped a few words at the other two benders, but Appa was too busy lamenting over the end of pampering time. 

☆☆☆

After an uninteresting day of watching Aang and Katara practicing their waterbending and Momo chattering incessantly in his ear about pirates almost capturing him, Appa was ready for a good night’s sleep. In fact, he slept so well that when he jolted awake to the sound of a piercing whistle, he instantly felt suspicious at the absence of Momo’s early morning chitters and discovered in a panic that no one was at the campsite. 

_Not again. Aang?! _Appa turned in an alarmed circle.__

____

____

He rushed towards the waterfall in hopes that they were simply waterbending again and forgot to wake him. He didn’t see anyone but he heard distant screaming over the roar of the waterfall. He swiveled his head around and caught sight of something at the top of the waterfall. He flew towards it and saw the kids leap off a ship before another one slammed into it, splinters flying everywhere. 

Their screams were cut short when he deftly swooped under and they all landed in his saddle with a soft _thump _.__

____

____

They must have been discovered by angry firebenders again. He took off towards the clouds to create a safe distance from the threat. 

Appa could still hear the trio’s heavy panting above. He gave an easy grunt at their out-of-breath thanks. 

Momo flew overhead, his usual chatter resuming in Appa’s ears as he recanted a new story about pirates and the scary firebender. 

Appa groaned.

_That firebender is persistent._

____

____

( _Jerkbender _, Sokka’s voice echoed in his head). Appa silently agreed as he prepared for another long journey ahead.__

____

____

_Best to get away before the foul-smelling fireballs show up._

____

____

Momo returned to the saddle as Appa parted through the clouds, hidden from sight to their pursuers below. The others didn’t sound shaken from their close encounter at all. After a few minutes, Aang’s familiar laugh floated through the air once again. Appa let out an exasperated sigh. 

As the others engaged in a soft conversation, Appa’s thoughts drifted back to the reappearance of the firebender. _Jerkbender _. It seemed they would be seeing more of him if their unlucky streak kept up. He didn’t quite understand why they were being hunted so frequently. Sokka had never been one to hold back his disdain for the Fire Nation and even Appa was able to pick up some bits.__

____

____

_Fire Nation is evil._

____

____

_They’re the reason the nations are at war._

____

____

But that still puzzled him. Aang explained to him that they were both asleep for a long time so that was why everything was so different now. Aang had looked deeply sad when he said this. He was just as torn with the news that the Fire Nation was bad now as Appa was. He had friends in the Fire Nation. 

_But now…_

____

____

Hearing Aang laugh cheerfully above him again, Appa was grateful that despite how different the world was, Aang was still able to easily make friends wherever he went. Sokka and Katara were here now. 

And Appa was here for all three of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing about team bonding and giving Appa some love. Please subscribe for future chapters and see you next Friday!


	3. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang is acting weird and Appa learns a little bit more about the firebender that’s been hunting them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a longer chapter this time because I’m having so much fun writing. Enjoy!

In the past weeks, Appa had grown more comfortable around Katara and Sokka. He had always easily trusted people and people quickly warmed up to him in return despite his intimidating size.

The incident with the rebels a few days ago left them all a bit more wary of new encounters. They couldn’t afford to stop and make friends anymore. Most villages they visited had some kind of problem, they’d offer their services, resupplied, and it was time to move on again. 

This time, Katara and Sokka ran into a familiar face. A man who came during the night while Appa was sleeping. He woke up when he felt Aang get up from where he was sleeping on the sky bison’s leg. 

_A threat? ___

____

____

He saw the two siblings embracing a man dressed in familiar blue attire. Their familiarity with him gave Appa relief. They didn’t stop hugging the man as the three started to walk away from the campsite, leaving Aang standing behind. Aang turned and beckoned him to follow. Appa got up with a groan. 

The three ahead walked and talked animatedly among themselves. To Appa’s curiosity, Aang remained behind the trio instead of joining them in his usual enthusiasm. Aang was always eager to meet new people and this man was obviously someone special to Katara and Sokka. To Aang’s credit, Appa did notice he would chime in with an anecdote of his own a few times but the conversation quickly drifted back to the trio, leaving Aang trailing awkwardly behind. 

They were led to an abbey that—with even the slightest sniff—held a strong aroma of herbal oils and floral which flooded in and clouded Appa’s head. 

Appa moaned to himself. The fragrances tickled his nose but he has definitely smelled worse. The others were gathered around a large urn filled with the strong-smelling liquid. Aang stood further back away. Probably not as thrilled with the smells either. 

As they all retired to their rooms, Appa retreated over to a corner where a large stack of hay sat. The smell of hay slightly easing his nose. Hopefully, he could resist eating the hay throughout the night if only to keep the smell at bay. 

He was still settling in, eyes drooping heavily when light briefly flooded into the courtyard. He spotted Aang and Momo coming out of their room but Aang swiftly closed the door behind him before walking away. No one else followed. 

_Why isn’t he staying with Sokka and Katara? ___

____

____

Aang walked out of the abbey in the direction of the beach, his head hung low. Even in the darkness, Appa recognized the look on his face. It was the same look Aang used to get when the other young airbenders stopped inviting him to join their games. Appa debated on following the young boy, ready to comfort him again like in the old days, but he caught sight of Momo perched on his shoulder, already chittering softly and patting Aang’s face with his small hands. He supposed the lemur had this covered for now. 

Appa sighed to himself. Whatever happened, he hoped they could resolve the issue. Sokka and Katara were already beginning to feel part of their small family. It was hard finding companions in this new world. _The Avatar _seemed to have a new meaning that had many people either hunting them down or idolizing from a distance. These two siblings were different. They were there when he and Aang awoke, and the four of them have stuck by each other through this scary venture in the new world since.__

____

____

They were all so young, too. The monks kept Aang from traveling because of his Avatar training, but also because he wasn’t old enough. Katara and Sokka weren’t that much older either. All much too young to be traveling alone in this war. Which is why they needed to stay together. 

_If the problem was with the new man_ , Appa concluded, _then he can join us as well. It would be comforting to have an actual adult around. That way, he won’t be able to take Katara and Sokka away from us _.__

_____ _

_____ _

Appa chewed on a small patch of hay to comfort himself. 

Not even half an hour later, Aang returned to the courtyard. He didn’t look sad anymore but now he was looking inexplicably nervous. He was wringing his hands and had a small grimace on his face. He also kept looking around the courtyard as if searching for something. That was how he locked eyes with Appa who blinked back curiously. Aang noticeably stood straighter and let out a forced laugh, waved at Appa and turned back to his room to rejoin the others. 

Appa shifted on the ground. Maybe Aang was going to talk things out now. Appa let out a sigh and closed his eyes. He could rest easy for tonight. 

☆☆☆

In the morning, things appeared to return back to normal. Appa ate his morning hay and watched as the trio and the man walked down the path towards the beach. Katara and Sokka laughed at something the man said while Aang followed closely behind. 

Unfortunately, the peace would not last. When they returned, Sokka and Katara walked wordlessly beside each other. Sokka looking sullen and Katara looking stricken. Much farther back behind them, Aang followed. His expression was tight and pointed to the ground. He went straight to Appa as the others retreated to their rooms, emerging a short while later with their sleeping bags and supplies. 

“I messed up, Appa,” Aang confessed tearfully while clutching the sky bison’s fur. He leapt up onto Appa’s head and curled into a ball with Momo landing at his side. Appa let off soft rumbles to comfort him. 

They perked up when Katara approached them, but she only wished them luck and walked away to join her brother. Sokka only gave Aang a sad look before turning away and walking out of the abbey. 

Aang gave the reins a stern tug and Appa moaned sadly. He followed down the same path the others did but turned in the opposite direction at the split. Katara and Sokka walking farther away behind them. 

During the entire trip to the beach, Aang hadn’t said a word. Appa already knew the days ahead would be like this without their friends. 

Before they could leave, one of the nuns from the abbey appeared and called out in distress. Appa’s ears flicked as they took in her hurried words. 

“—A fierce-looking woman with a horrible monster and a young man with a scar.”

“Zuko,” Aang said gravely. 

_The firebender again! They need to leave before— ___

____

____

“Katara!” Aang’s shout disrupted Appa’s thoughts. 

Without a moment to lose, Aang took out his glider and leapt from Appa’s head. He flew back in the direction they came and Appa followed closely below. 

As Appa entered the abbey, he saw Sokka and Katara laying on the ground. The woman and her beast charging straight towards Aang. Before they could reach him, Appa slammed headfirst into the beast’s side with a grunt. Launching it and the woman into a wall. 

Appa lowered his head with a warning growl, brandishing his sharp horns and huffing as a challenge. He could hear Aang’s grunts and sounds of fighting behind him but he was unable to turn away as the woman and her beast got back up and charged at him. Appa leapt above his opponents before landing back down roughly when a sharp pain ran through his leg. A strange tingling sensation rushed through his body, making it difficult to stand. The feeling passed and he found himself on his feet again, growling another challenge. 

After another tussle, the beast lunged at a rooftop, scrabbling at Aang who was also busy evading the firebender. Appa’s heart jumped to his throat. He turned and whipped his tail to bend shots of air after the beast. Aiming to blast it off the roof but frustratingly missing each time. 

Aang jumped back down onto the courtyard and confronted the firebender. Heavy blasts of fire prevented Appa from coming too close but he didn’t hesitate at a small opening when the firebender was distracted to stalk angrily at him and growl menacingly. Large teeth flashing and lips pulled back in a snarl made the sky bison a fearsome force. 

He has had _enough of this _firebender.__

____

____

Appa wasn’t able to get close enough to snap his jaws before another swipe from the beast’s tongue across his face left the tingling sensation returning through his body. This time, he received multiple swipes before collapsing to his side. Limbs no longer cooperating. 

He was able to watch as Katara manipulated a wave of perfume onto the beast. It snorted furiously while lashing out blindly with its tongue, hitting the firebender in the process. Appa watched with some satisfaction as the man groaned and fell backwards to the ground. The beast lashed its tongue at the woman one last time before scampering off into the woods. 

As Appa’s body twitched uncontrollably and trembled while he tried to get on his feet, he distantly heard the firebender speak. 

“Uncle?” He called out to the older man lying next to him with the woman caught in his arms. 

_Uncle? ___

____

____

For some reason, that single word was all it took to throw off Appa’s focus on standing. The soft address was the last thing he expected to come out of the firebender’s mouth. 

_The firebender who has done nothing but relentlessly chased us for months to capture Aang and shot fire at a child without holding anything back?_ He’s _capable of sounding concerned for another human being? ___

_____ _

_____ _

He shook himself out of his thoughts as Aang ran up to him, followed by Katara and Sokka. He was able to stand again but still twitched in short intervals. The trio hastingly tried to push him towards the exit, away from the firebender and the other attackers. Aang was at his head, pulling him and shouting words of encouragement while the other two were at his sides, somewhat pushing as if to prop him up since he was still tilting to the side a bit. Not that it really did anything; he weighed several tons. But the gesture made him rumble affectionately. 

By the time they were outside of the abbey, he was feeling ready to fly and roared to get on. Aang took the reins and the others climbed into his saddle. In no time at all, they were high within the clouds that glowed orange as the sun began to set. 

“So… where do we go?” Aang asked. Sounding unsure much like that first day when Katara and Sokka joined them. 

Appa had forgotten all about their fight and separation. The sadness came back. 

_They were together again… they had to stay together now… right? ___

____

____

“We’re getting you to the North Pole,” Katara stated with a smile in her voice. 

“Yeah. We’ve lost too much time as it is,” Sokka chipped in. 

“Don’t you want to see your father?” Aang asked again, still not believing they wanted to stay with him. 

“Of course we do, Aang, but you’re our family, too, and right now you need us more,” Sokka replied.

“And _we _need you,” Katara said firmly.__

____

____

Appa felt pleased. He knew Katara and Sokka weren’t like the passing travelers they met on journeys. They were here to stay. And they admitted it themselves, _they were a family _.__

____

____

At that thought, another came up. Appa’s mind flashed back to the abbey.

Uncle. _That was what that firebender had said. That crazy firebender had family, too. Not only did he have family but he was_ traveling _with said family member _.__

_____ _

_____ _

_Kind of like what Sokka and Katara were doing. But it couldn’t be the same. And for what purpose?_

____

____

Thinking back, the old man did not participate in the fighting at all. 

_Was he too old and didn’t want to get hurt? If that was the case then why was he traveling with a person like Zuko? ___

____

____

It left more questions than answers and the flying bison did not want to dwell on it anymore. Perhaps some things were too complex for a large beast like him. He shook his head with a grumble and heard the voices above him pipe up. 

“—Zuko.”

_Again _. It’s like the universe won’t let him forget. Appa released a louder grumble, this time annoyed. He didn’t want to allow this to distract him. He had a long journey ahead to the Northern Water Tribe. There were plenty of other crazy firebenders in their path to be concerned with. His biggest priority was protecting his own family, not pondering about strange firebenders and their strange relatives.__

____

____

_If only it were that simple. ___

____

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment below and let me know your thoughts! See you next Friday.


	4. Blizzard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the 100 kudos! Small milestones like that makes me happy that I wrote this fic.

The sun was finally slipping down below the horizon when Appa touched down within the icy walls of the Northern Water Tribe. His legs gave out under him and he released a great exhale. His limbs were sore and the stench of smoke and fire was saturated deep in his fur causing his eyes to burn and water. 

Aang slid off the top of his head and slumped heavily against his front leg. Barely enough energy to airbend himself and touch down in his usual grace. He didn’t even bother lifting his head to face Katara and Princess Yue when they ran up to him. 

“I can’t do it,” Aang was gasping repeatedly. He sounded every bit defeated as he felt. 

Appa moaned in empathy. They had spent the entire day sinking warship after warship but as soon as one went down, another moved up and resumed fire. If he thought one scary firebender was bad, this was another level. And the firebender in question hadn’t even shown his face yet. There was no doubt in Appa’s mind that Zuko was waiting for the opportune moment to attack. His large limbs still trembled from exhaustion but he managed to follow Aang as they retreated deeper into the city. 

As night fell, the brightness of the near full moon illuminated the entire city. The ports and buildings closer to the ocean showed the heaviest damage. Appa could still see the few injured being carried to the healing huts. A steady, light glow was detectable through the openings of the hut and had been present for the entire time he and Aang returned. 

Appa watched as Aang looked around in despair before perking up and turning to the princess and Katara excitedly. The three of them spoke and nodded amongst each other before following the princess further into the palace. Appa remained behind, not knowing where they were headed and the passages too narrow for him to walk through. 

Left alone, Appa took the time to stretch out his aching muscles. Bits of ash and strands of burnt fur drifted down as he did so. He let out a grumpy huff. The undisturbed weeks spent at the Northern Water Tribe almost made him forget what a pain it was to have fireballs launched at him. After stretching, Appa laid down but fought off the tendrils of sleep creeping through his exhausted body. He needed to stay alert for this night. The foreboding moon above him and the plumes of smoke in the distance created a deep sense of uneasiness that helped keep him awake. 

When the sky started to brighten with the rising sun, he saw Sokka running towards him with the princess in close behind. Sokka had a frantic look on his face and Appa greeted him with a curious sound. 

“Aang’s in trouble! Princess Yue will take us to him.”

Appa roared softly and lowered his head. 

Sokka deftly lifted himself up and turned to help the princess climb into the saddle. Instead of sitting at the usual spot on Appa’s head with the reins, he felt Sokka join Yue in the saddle. 

With a snap of the reins and a _yip yip _, Appa pumped his limbs and lifted off the ground. He could hear Yue’s soft voice guiding Sokka and the gentle tugs of the reins directed them above the palace and into an enclosed sanctuary full of the first sight of grass he hadn’t seen or felt in weeks.__

____

____

Appa felt a jolt run through him at the sight of Katara’s unconscious body on the ground. A feeling colder than the air around him seeped through his bones when he realized he couldn’t see Aang anywhere. 

Appa landed with a groan. The soft feel of grass instead of the usual ice was like a shock to his senses and momentarily distracted him before Sokka jumped down and ran up to Katara who was now awake and standing shakingly. 

“Where’s Zuko?!” Sokka shouted. 

_Zuko_. Appa felt a sinking feeling in all five stomachs. _There doesn’t seem to be any fortified place capable of keeping that firebender out _.__

____

____

“He took Aang. He took him right out from under me,” Katara cried forlornly. 

Appa looked around. Trying to find any cracks within the icy walls that could fit two people but could not find anything unusual besides the large chunk of fragmented ice sticking out of the wall that Katara must’ve created during a fight. 

Appa began to huff in frustration. Part of him wanted to be angry that Katara had lost Aang but he was the one who failed in his duty of watching over the young boy. _If only I had followed him! ___

____

____

The others seemed as lost as he was. They all stood around silently for a moment before Sokka began to move. 

“Zuko can’t have gotten far. We’ll find him. Aang’s gonna be fine,” Sokka spoke with absolute confidence and assurance which quickly dispelled their mounting disheartenment at the absence of their friend. 

Their faces transformed with steely resolve and they quickly jumped onto Appa’s back, Sokka confidently taking the reins again. 

As they flew high above the sanctuary, Sokka quickly spotted footprints against the snow beyond the stormy landscape. Hours spent tracking arctic animals back home benefitting him well in this moment. 

As they followed the footprints farther away from the palace, the snow got deeper and the trail became more noticeable as tiny footprints turned into a deep scar against the snow. The current blizzard was not even heavy enough to erase the tracks in time despite Zuko’s head start.

Appa felt Sokka gently pull the reins now and then but he really didn’t need to as Appa could easily follow the trail on his own. 

Suddenly, the trail ended at a large chasm and Sokka pulled them down to investigate. Snow was falling more thickly now but the trail was still visible. It stopped at the edge before the ground opened up to the great chasm. 

Appa heard Katara let out a disbelieving cry. Not wanting to believe… 

Sokka turned to face them with a hard look.

_He hasn’t given up yet._

____

____

Appa let a low rumble travel through his body. Hoping the vibrations could comfort them. Sokka returned to the reins and they took off again. 

Sokka shouted over the wind, “It’s not likely Zuko would be able to make it as far as this while carrying Aang during a blizzard so we’ll circle around this area until we spot something!”

Katara tightly gripped the edge of the saddle. Bending over precariously and searching the snow below. Princess Yue placed her gloved hand onto Katara’s and gave her a comforting look when the other looked over. Katara let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and smiled back. She turned back to her search looking more determined instead of regretful. 

Eventually night fell and the blizzard passed and the winds died down, allowing them a better view of the terrain despite the only source of light being the full moon. 

All of a sudden, a trail of light above them appeared and they all snapped their heads towards it.

_Aang! ___

____

____

Sokka quickly pulled Appa to where the blue light disappeared into a small opening between snow-covered mounds. 

Before they could land, a small body rolled, quite literally, out into the snow, bouncing twice before turning over and inching away like a worm.

_Oh, Aang._

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____

If Appa wasn’t so busy feeling the relief from finding the young boy safe, he would take the moment to huff a laugh at the ridiculousness of this kid despite his predicament. 

That said, it wasn’t long before Appa’s amusement dissipated and was replaced with renewed anger at the sight of Zuko coming out of the same opening and grabbing Aang. 

Appa let out a threatening growl as he landed. Readying to charge the moment Aang would inevitably slip away from his captor. 

He didn’t need to, however, when he felt Katara slip down before he could properly grip the snow. With short lifts of her arm, Zuko was quickly disposed of and lying unconscious in the snow.

Sokka dismounted and cut Aang free and they both quickly jumped back on. 

Appa gave Aang a quick glance over but did not find the boy to be harmed anywhere. 

_Otherwise, Zuko wouldn’t_ just _be unconscious over there._

____

____

He waited for Aang to give the call to leave but to his puzzlement, Aang floated back down and grabbed his kidnapper from under his arms and dragged him towards the saddle. 

“If we leave him, he’ll die.”

Appa watched curiously, but made no move to refuse. He grumbled a bit at the added weight, though. He also let out a grunt of agreement to Sokka’s comment at the decision but Sokka didn’t make any moves to refuse either. 

His Aang always had been a compassionate kid who deeply valued life like the monks taught him. Even if the current life he was saving made theirs a waking nightmare for the past several months. 

With the added firebender in tow, Aang finally gave the call to return to the city. 

“Is it safe to be bringing him with us?” Appa heard Princess Yue’s soft voice question. 

“Eh, I tied him up with some good rope,” came Sokka’s reply. 

“And I can throw him overboard if he tries anything funny, easy,” Katara said confidently. 

The landscape around them transformed when the full moon turned a haunting red, making the dark sky look like blood. 

Appa let out a low moan the same time he felt Aang shift on his head and also heard the grunts of discomfort from the princess above him. 

“The Moon spirit is in trouble! We need to get back to the sanctuary,” Aang said urgently, “Appa, yip yip!”

Appa let out a roar and pulled the air through his limbs to fly faster. Soon they were above the pond and spotted the firebenders below. Momo swooped down chattering at Appa who grumbled in response and the lemur dove back down again, diving onto the head of the man who held a squirming bag in his fist. 

The team used Momo’s distraction to touch down silently, quickly dismounting and stood battle-ready across from their enemies directly opposite of the pond. 

Appa watched tensely while Aang and the man exchanged words. Not noticing the hooded figure off to the side until they spoke up. 

_It’s the firebender’s Uncle _, Appa realized when the hood was thrown back. He listened to the old man shout at the man across from them. He sounded furious.__

____

____

_Is he helping? ___

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____

Appa looked back and forth from the enemy to the old man during the heated exchange. For a moment, they all let out a collective sigh when the Moon spirit was released back into the water and the red haze magically disappeared. 

Then the man let out a roar and swung an arch of red flames into the pool and the world dipped in darkness as the moon disappeared from the sky. 

Without hesitation, the old man threw a flurry of fireballs at the other. Within seconds, the Fire Nation soldiers fell to the ground from the force of his fire blasts. 

Rapid movement within the pool drew Appa’s attention. The others quickly gathered around and watched helplessly as the remaining Ocean spirit swam in circles around the lifeless body of the Moon spirit. Appa remained rooted in his spot and watched how the others readily stood by the old man. 

_They don’t seem to be afraid of him_ , Appa noted, _despite his recent powerful display of firebending. Did they forget that he’s with Zuko? ___

____

____

Speaking of, Appa straightened out his limbs and shifted his body but the surprisingly light saddle on his back confused him. He tried to crane his neck to see why he felt a lack of weight from the firebender but could not hear anything when he shifted the saddle to his side. 

_He escaped?_ Appa turned back to the old man who was still standing at the same spot, holding the lifeless koi fish. _His Uncle is still here. He wouldn’t leave him behind._

____

____

Appa watched as Aang waded into the pond with his eyes and tattoos glowing. He let out a concerned grunt when Aang suddenly plunged under the water. The entire sanctuary was soon filled with an ethereal blue light that spread out beyond the city. 

The water surged and kept growing until a vaguely humanoid shape formed, Aang floating at its center encased in an orb of white light.

Appa didn’t know what to do as Aang walked away towards the ocean where dozens of Fire Nation fleets waited for him in the water. He turned back and hunched over the pool where the old man was speaking softly to the princess. He didn’t pay attention to their words but examined their faces. 

The old man wore a matching expression of sympathy and sorrow as Katara and Sokka while watching the princess speak. When the princess was gone and the moon restored, they knelt close by the old man. As if his aged presence brought them some level of comfort during the loss of their friend. 

Appa could agree the man’s presence was nothing like the firebenders they’ve met in the past. Wholly different from his nephew’s fiery temper. 

_Except. ___

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_That wasn’t completely true. ___

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_Did they all not recently witness this same old man taking down his own people within seconds? Is he now our friend? What about his nephew? Zuko was just caught trying to kidnap Aang yet again. _More and more questions still left unanswered.__

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____

Soft, silvery light flooded back over the North Pole as they all looked up and saw the familiar full moon parting through the clouds in the night’s sky. 

Knowing that the siege of the North was over, the old man slowly stood up. Katara cautiously followed but Sokka remained kneeling at the edge of the pond, his face downcast. The man turned to Katara who shifted into a hesitant stance. A hint of fear now breaking out on her face, but the old man simply bowed, and turned to exit the sanctuary. 

Katara watched as he quickly retreated through the small moon doors. When it was apparent the old man would not return, she turned back to her brother and kneeled by his side. 

Appa let out a low groan and moved to join them. Gently nudging their backs with his fluffy head. Scorch marks blackened the grass from where he stood. Beyond them, the moon brightly reflected back on the pond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to end in such a way but Yue was one of my favorite characters and her "death" always left me feeling sad but also proud in a way. Like, yes, she's gone but she's also the Moon Spirit holy cow. 
> 
> See you next Friday! We will finally see Toph ;) Comments are appreciated.


	5. Lost Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zuko may not have appeared here but "Appa's Lost Days" was the whole reason I wrote this so here's the longest chapter so far. Some fluff at the beginning until everything goes wrong. 
> 
> I just finished this chapter and I'm posting immediately so forgive any mistakes I did.

The desert was Appa’s least favorite destination so far. Flying in the air was somewhat better since he was able to bend the air around him and kept himself cool but now he was grounded on the hot sand as he waited for Aang and the others to come back out of the tower. At least he wasn’t alone.

Not willing to stand any longer under the sun, he moved to sit under the shade of the tower, grunting at Toph to follow. 

Toph was the newest addition to their team. He wasn’t sure how he felt about her at first. She was small like Aang but had completely different mannerisms and temperament. She also liked to yell at Aang and rarely let him rest during his bending lessons which reminded Appa of how the old monks wouldn’t let Aang have any fun while training back home. 

But after the first rough day of training, Aang _did_ start to look like he was having fun even if the yelling continued. Toph was able to show she could have fun as well. In fact, she _loved_ having fun and constantly played pranks on the others. Appa lost count of the times he watched her discreetly bent small pebbles at Sokka’s head and carried on like she was clueless when Sokka whirled around to yell at her for the nth time to _stop that!_

It got a laugh every time from everyone else. 

Now they were sitting quietly next to each other in the shade of the tower. The sand had now gotten deep under Appa’s fur and made him itch. He swatted at his ear and saw a few grains dusted down. He turned to Toph who had begun speaking.

“I don’t see the way you do. I feel the vibrations on the ground with my feet.”

Appa looked down at the soft sand under him. He clenched his toes and felt the sand slip through easily. 

“But this sand is so loose and shifty, it makes everything look fuzzy,” Toph continued. 

Appa remembered the times Aang cooed and called him _soft and fuzzy_ and he let out a short roar, _What’s bad about being fuzzy? ___

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“Not that there’s anything wrong with being fuzzy!” Toph hurriedly explained herself. 

He let out a pleased huff. 

“In fact,” Toph continued, “you remind me a lot of the badgermoles I used to play with when I was a kid. They were much bigger than me but they knew how to be gentle and understood me more than my parents ever did.” 

It was moments like these when Appa was once again reminded of the similarities Toph and Aang shared. He didn’t know what Toph’s life was like before she joined them, but he knew loneliness when he saw it. 

The conversation lulled there and Appa decided he’d take a nap before the others came out and he’d have to fly all day again. He tried to curl his body around Toph as he settled down but she quickly got up again. 

“Sorry, Appa, it’s too hot for cuddles right now.”

He let out a sad moan.

“Okay fine,” Toph said after a moment, “I’ll sit next to you, but still no cuddles!” 

Appa laid his head between his forelegs, placated. 

Toph sat down next to his leg and despite what she said, gently leaned back against his fur. Appa hummed lowly at the touch.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get all mushy.”

Appa dozed lightly for a few minutes before he woke up to the familiar feeling of being watched. Hunted. It was a feeling he couldn’t get used to, even after months of it. He had thought the one angry firebender was persistent but the encounter with the terrifying women in an all-terrain machine had him convinced the Fire Nation would stop at nothing until Aang was captured. Instincts told him to be on alert. 

He wasn’t able to detect what was watching him when he felt a deep vibration coming from underground. He immediately lurched up and Toph, who was leaning against his side, gave a shout as she fell backwards onto the sand. 

She quickly got up and faced the tower, trying to comprehend what she was feeling in the earth. 

“Library’s sinking,” she realized in a panic, “library’s sinking!”

Appa roared concernedly behind her, not knowing what to do. He could only watch as she pierced her hands into the wall of the tower, managing to slightly slow the descent with surprising strength. 

Over the rumble of the sinking tower, Appa heard a faint noise behind him and the feeling of being watched returned. He let out a warning growl as he turned around. He heard Toph grunt out a question but a wall of sand came flying at them before he could warn her. His eyes and nose burned and he let out another series of growls and grunts. 

Appa was quickly surrounded by the masked people he recognized from the oasis. This time, all of them held rope in their hands. He released a bellowing roar when they threw the rope over him and tried to tie him down. 

He saw the tower suddenly drop as Toph let go and sent a wave of sand towards his attackers but missed by several meters. He roared at her to stop the tower instead.

_Get Aang and the others out first! ___

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But Toph did not understand and continued to whip sand towards the sound of his distressed roars. She cried out in frustration and continued to alternate between holding up the tower and futilely throwing sand his way. The tower was barely above the sand now.

_Not good. ___

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Appa heaved and threw his body as much as he could. He slammed his tail and snapped his jaws when they tried to tie his mouth shut, growling viciously. He pumped his limbs and tried to take off into the air to slam his tail back down and blow them away with his airbending. Instead, he felt rope tightening around his legs preventing him from staying in the air and he came crashing back into the sand. 

The sandbenders shouted around him. He was now completely immobile and could only watch as they fastened the ropes onto their sailer and quickly dragged him away. He couldn’t see behind him but he didn’t hear Toph trying to fight off any of the sandbenders. It seemed like they were only here for him. Appa considered this a slim silver lining that the young girl was left unharmed and would be safe when she rejoined the others. 

As for him, his fate remained uncertain. 

☆☆☆

Appa woke up slowly. His head felt muddled and his eyelids painfully peeled open after being stuck together from sand and crust. 

Last he remembered, he was being dragged across the desert—the itching burns on the underside of his belly served as a painful reminder—when a vision of an irregularity in the distant sand dunes flashed through his mind and then nothing else. 

The distracting burn of his chafed stomach paired with the gnawing feeling of hunger demanded Appa’s attention and he moved to scratch before his movement was halted by the jangle of chains. 

His vision was still watery and blurred and in panic he tried to reach up and wipe at his eyes, again stopped short by the snap of chains. He mumbled in confusion. 

He found each of his legs shackled together and he was trapped in a cramped cage. He was filled with dread at the realization he was captured and unable to airbend his way of escape. The room was dimly lit which did not help his weak vision in figuring out his surroundings. 

He also failed to see the shadowed figure standing in front of him until a flick of a flame danced across his vision from their palm. 

_Zuko?! _After weeks lacking of an encounter, the firebender must have silently tracked them down again. Appa gave off a low growl and tried to look as intimidating as he could in the small space.__

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____

However, the figure let out an amused, deep chuckle that was unfamiliar to the bison. The stranger who was talking now sounded more aged and hair-raising compared to the youthful inflection of the brief times Appa heard Zuko speak. 

“You probably felt you had no choice but to behave outrageously, like a wild animal.” As the man spoke the flame in his hand grew and danced in a dangerous but alluring way. Each flicker seemed to flutter in beat with his rising heartbeat. 

“But don’t worry, you won’t anymore.” The man reached out an empty hand and stroked his fur in a deceptively gentle way. His other hand still held the flame uncomfortably near Appa’s face. 

The man sneered, “Because I’m going to break you.”

The fire reflected back on the man’s eyes, shadows grew and retreated on his face from the unsteady light. 

Appa couldn’t help the shiver that ran through him as the man continued to caress his head. Not soon enough, the man finally dropped his hand and exited the tent. 

Black spots from the fire still danced in Appa’s vision but with his only source of light gone, it was difficult to see the entirety of the tent he was in. He could tell by smell alone that there were many other animals being kept in cages like him. If he listened closely, he could even hear their soft breathing and an occasional shuffle of feathers. 

No matter how hard he tried, the chains binding his feet would not give. His constant racket made the other animals uneasy and soon the tent was filled with loud squawks and hoots. They instantly fell quiet when the man returned pushing a cart filled with cabbages. Appa’s mouth began to water and he shuffled in anticipation. 

However, the man bypassed him completely and instead began feeding the lion vulture next to him. The man taunted him with the tasty snack but never gave him the treat. Appa couldn’t care less when the man turned away and directed his attention to the lion vulture flying above. 

As soon as his back was turned, Appa drew the cart of cabbages towards him with his breath and began eating. Cabbages weren’t as filling as a good bale of hay but this was the first real food he'd seen in the desert and he wasn’t picky. 

It didn’t end well.

Appa has had his fair share of close encounters with firebenders but he always had Aang there to defend and protect him. Always had Katara or Sokka to put out stray cinders while Aang directed every fire blast away. But here in this small cage, he was defenseless to the flames that licked towards his face. He roared and reared back from the heat but there was no room to airbend away. No Aang or Katara or Sokka or Toph. He even thought about Momo who would’ve come swooping down in his defense to attack his assailant without hesitation. 

He couldn’t tell how many days passed while he was held captive. The man never let him outside and the daylight barely filtered in from the gaps high above the tent. He could only tell it was several days from the heat of the day and the coolness of the night changing the temperature inside the tent. 

When he did make his escape, he could only think of Aang. No matter how far he traveled, it wasn’t soon until the faint scent he was tracking disappeared. 

He flew alone for days. The emptiness on his back hurt more than the pangs of hunger that often struck him. Sure, there were times when the weight of the saddle added with everyone else and their supplies made him look forward most to the moments they would dismount at the end of the day, but flying with his back bare was unnerving and unwelcomed. 

He lost count of the times he awaited for the sound of Aang’s laughter to float through the air or the usual bickering from the siblings coupled with Toph’s snarky remarks. Even Momo’s endless chatter was missed. This was the longest he’d been separated from Aang. From anyone, he supposed. 

_I miss them terribly. ___

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☆☆☆

A scent in the air alerted Appa to wakefulness. Not that he had been sleeping deeply for several days. He growled menacingly but cowered fearfully deeper into his dwelling. He knew he was cornering himself but he hoped the approaching figure would have enough sense to leave him alone. 

It was a girl dressed in a distantly familiar attire but with his poor eyesight and the distance she kept, he couldn’t be sure. She spoke softly and he stopped growling to hear her but after setting something on the ground she left as quickly as she had come. 

Cautiously, he ventured out into the open and saw the small offering of fruit and berries she left behind. He quickly devoured them and retreated back inside. 

A few minutes later, he heard her come back but when he turned to look there were several other people in her company. He roared and kicked up dirt as a warning to not come closer and they immediately pulled back. 

“Appa,” the lone girl stepped forward, “it’s me, Suki. I’m a friend.”

_Suki… Suki? _Appa rumbled in a more calm tone as he tried to place her.__

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____

She kepting walking towards him while speaking placatingly, her palms turned to face him to show she meant no harm. He still grumbled warningly, not giving in easily. 

“We can help you find Aang.”

Appa gave a start at the name and peered closer to her face. She spoke the promise with a conviction he found himself believing. Nothing else in her voice or eyes betrayed anything but fondness and good will. 

He allowed her gentle touch to coax him into her trust. That made him discover something else he didn’t realize he desperately missed from being around the others. 

He finally remembered the girls as the Kyoshi warriors he’d met several months ago. He recalled the fierce way they fought against the firebenders but they were utterly gentle now. It was the closest thing to pampering that he hasn’t had in a long time. It may have been more painful from each quill they pulled free compared to a scrub between the toes, but with each pull he was fed a handful of berries and received a gentle rub at the tender spot. With the shackles broken away he was finally able to stretch and move freely. His cracking joints were very appreciative of this. 

As thanks, he turned to each of the warriors and nudged them with a lick. 

Appa was unable to enjoy the company of his newfound friends when the all too familiar sound of a fire blast lit up the tree behind him. He roared in shock at the peculiar sight of blue flames but the intense heat reminded him of the lashes of fire during his captivity. 

Despite every instinct in him that told him to fly away, he remained close by the Kyoshi warriors, unwilling to be separated from his friends again. They stood their ground against the incoming enemy.

Appa growled at the familiar three girls before him. 

“My, my, you’re easy to find. It’s really astounding my brother hasn’t captured you yet,” the girl in the middle spoke. 

_Brother? What is she talking about? _Appa growled more ferociously at the thought of being captured again. He shuffled impatiently at the tense standoff.__

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____

As the fighting began, Appa found his anger overtaken by his panic in the face of fire. His mind flashed back to the trapped cage he was kept in when the flames lit up all around him. He was paralyzed by his fear and his unwillingness to abandon his friends. 

“Go, Appa! Fly away from here!” Suki urged. 

He took off into the air but turned back when he saw Suki fall down. Before he could land to help, Suki brandished a torch and warded him off. 

“You have to find Aang! We’ll be okay,” Suki gave him an assured smile at the last part. 

With no other choice, Appa turned away and left them to fight without him. 

He flew endlessly towards the one of the few places he would always know by heart: the Eastern Air Temple.

The sight of the home he grew up in filled his heart with comfort after his guilt of abandoning the Kyoshi warriors. Good allies and friends were hard to come by these days. He had always been easy to trust people. But the past ordeal left him scared and wounded to leave his guard down for long. Suki and the Kyoshi warriors were a familiar face. The stranger residing in his abandoned childhood home?

Unfamiliar and very much _not Aang. ___

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But even in time the stranger proved to be harmless and reminded him a great deal of the old monks. He also may or may not have been lured in with the promise of food. 

Now he was tasked with a message and a clear path to Aang. It was the most hope he has had in weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next Friday for the final chapter! Comments appreciated :)


	6. A Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the last chapter! 
> 
> Also: I made the decision to leave out Iroh's name because I wanted to stick mostly to Appa's POV and I realized he never actually heard Iroh's name spoken out loud before. I like to think that if the Gaang would ever speak about Iroh they would call him the Dragon of the West rather than General Iroh because they're kids and that sounds so much cooler especially if Katara and Sokka grew up only hearing tales of the outside world from their isolated tribe. And Toph referred to Iroh as the Dragon of the West anyway.

_First firebenders, then sandbenders, now earthbenders. Why are so many people trying to capture me?_

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Appa had been confident he would finally see his team again when he followed the familiar whistling call into the city of Ba Sing Se but he was wrong. It happened too quickly for him to understand. The ground, walls, and ceiling appeared to constantly shift around him before he found himself yet again in chains. 

At least this time he was being fed food and water on a daily schedule. The people who came and went never bothered him or stayed long. Except for one man who came a few times and simply stood in front of him silently, hands clasped behind his back, and smirked whenever Appa began to growl. 

Appa didn’t know how he was going to get out of this one. He does know that Aang will not give up searching and he only hopes the young boy won’t get himself captured when he inevitably comes to his rescue. 

There’s a commotion on the other side of the walls. Distant sounds like rocks grinding against each other and deep vibrations he can feel in the ground. 

_Aang! ___

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The sounds went on for a few minutes until it was silent again. Light filled the dark room and the silhouette of a tall figure slinked in. 

_Not Aang _. Appa quickly got to his feet in alarm.__

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“Expecting someone else?” The hoarse but somewhat familiar voice questions almost mockingly. 

Appa gave a low growl at the impression of fangs adorning their mask and at the hint of a sword’s handle peeking over the shoulder of the intruder. He dared the other to come closer. Chained or not, he won’t back down easily. 

The ring of a blade slicing through the air raised the hairs all over Appa’s body and he hoped his puffed up appearance looked more intimidating rather than _cute _as he’s heard Sokka tease him about once.__

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The intruder stalked forward with his sword hanging low. Appa growled louder and brandished his own sharp horns in response. 

Distantly, he could feel the tremors in the ground resume. Something big was definitely happening. 

The masked figure didn’t so much as flinch as Appa roared and shook the ground with his giant stomps. He only turned and revealed a second sword when the door opened once more. The mask hid his expression but it was still obvious to see the shock that jolted through his slim body. 

“Uncle?” 

Appa realized he recognized the newcomer as well. _Wait… that would mean…_

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The person under the mask sighed in defeat and revealed himself as the last person Appa wanted to see right now.

_Zuko. ___

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The chains around Appa jingled loudly in the tense silence as he tried to get as far away as he was allowed. 

“What are you doing here?” Zuko questioned. 

“I was just about to ask you the same thing. What do you plan to do now that you’ve found the Avatar’s bison? Keep it locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?” Each question that rushed out of the older man’s mouth grew in heat. 

Appa was confused, but refused to let his guard down. Even if the old man showed that he could be benevolent when he wanted to be the last time they parted ways at the Northern Water Tribe. He startled when the man began shouting in a similar vein as the fateful standoff at the North Pole. This time, the anger directed at his own nephew. Appa remained silent and watched warily. 

“I know my own destiny, Uncle!” Zuko shouted at last. 

“Is it your _own _destiny? Or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?”__

____

____

“Stop it, Uncle.” Zuko’s voice shook and sounded on the verge of tears. 

Out of nowhere, the image of Aang’s face twisted up in tears flashed in Appa’s mind. He couldn’t explain it. _Why now? ___

____

____

Zuko turned to Appa with a steely scowl, “I have to do this.”

_Do what? _Appa tensed at his expression.__

____

____

“I’m _begging_ you, Prince Zuko. It’s time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions: Who are you? and What do _you_ want?” 

_____ _

_____ _

Zuko roared and threw his swords to clatter loudly against the ground. Appa was too shocked by the turn of events to move away. 

Zuko looked up to Appa once more. This time with a conflicted look and frustrated tears in his eyes. 

“For the past three years,” Zuko began hoarsely, “I have done nothing but search for the Avatar. Except for this past month, but never stopped thinking about it. And when I finally began to even consider the _possibility_ of giving up… here _you_ are. As if taunting me that I’ll never be able to forget. Coming to me as a _literal sign_ , but a sign for _what?_ ” 

_____ _

_____ _

Tears were flowing freely down Zuko’s face now. At that moment, he looked like any other crying boy. He couldn’t have been much older than Katara or Sokka. Appa rumbled unsettlingly. Zuko wiped at his face in an almost embarrassed manner. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. It was uncertain to what he was apologizing for. 

He bent down and picked up his swords. Appa watched him with his large eyes, unblinking as he waited. The air still held some tension but he could not sense any apparent danger, even when faced with an armed firebender. 

Zuko’s uncle remained silent through this. He said his piece and now he waited with Appa while Zuko quietly contemplated himself. 

A muffled noise beyond the walls of his confinement shook everyone out of their thoughts and to the present danger. 

“That must be the Avatar and his friends,” Zuko’s uncle guessed, “fighting off the Dai Li to rescue their friend here.”

Zuko remained silent but placed the edge of his sword against one of the chains holding Appa’s leg. He paused there for a moment, still thinking, when he lifted his arm and with a grand gesture sliced clean through the chain. 

“Then the Avatar is going to need his bison,” Zuko said finally. He made swift work of the rest of the chains and stepped back as Appa shook off the broken remains. 

Appa turned to face Zuko, whose swords were already tucked away and who was stepping backwards to join his uncle. Appa made a low rumble and peered closely at the firebender prince. Zuko freezed immediately and looked away while turning his palms face up. He tried to relax his shoulders to appear non-threatening to the large sky bison but it was hard when Appa was approaching closer with curious huffs. 

Zuko turned his head to look back at his uncle in mild panic for some kind of help but the older man only stood there smiling with his hands clasped over his belly. 

Appa was now close enough that his exhales whipped Zuko’s messy bangs around. It was the closest he had ever been to the animal besides the times he nearly had a limb bitten off. Those memories definitely did not help with his stress. Zuko remained stock-still and avoided eye contact even as Appa moved uncomfortably closer to his face. Closer and closer until a wet nose pushed against Zuko’s chest and the prince made a small shout of surprise before falling back with a soft thud. 

Zuko looked up in surprise and finally met the sky bison’s large, inquisitive eyes. For a few seconds, Zuko remained on the ground, still a little incredulous that he was pushed over but unable to break the steady gaze. Lightly huffing like he was satisfied, Appa turned and with a large beat of his tail, soared into the air and deftly exited through the opening above them. 

Zuko got up and watched as Appa escaped, a reminiscent feeling flooded through him as the sight of the bison flew out of his sight once again. 

☆☆☆

Appa didn’t like it when one of the kids wandered off on their own. His need to keep his team constantly within his sights developed after the month he spent separated from them and amplified after Aang’s brush with death. The Western Air Temple was an exciting new territory to explore and the kids’ continuous shouts of delight notified Appa of their whereabouts, but Aang has always been unnaturally silent when he wanted to be. When he flew off on his own, Appa wanted to quickly follow. Momo beat him to it and disappeared around the corner trailing after Aang. Appa stayed put with the others but couldn’t help but glance back often to try to spot the airbender. 

It wasn’t long before Sokka declared Aang had enough alone time and climbed up on Appa with Katara and Toph joining in the saddle. Appa called out when they couldn’t immediately find Aang but they soon spotted the blue glider darting between the suspended structures. His soft roars joined the others calling Aang to land and talk but his concern was more out of wanting the young airbender close to his side again. 

They landed near the fountain and movement out of the corner of Appa’s eye caught his attention. He thought it was one of the other kids checking on the commotion when he realized with a start that it was Zuko approaching cautiously. He tried to grin at Appa to show his good intentions but it was awkward and looked more like a grimace. Nevertheless, Appa’s large eyes still shone with fascination at the firebender’s unfamiliar approach. 

Appa shuffled closer to inspect and paid little attention to the others’ shouts of alarm. He found himself greatly amused by the nervousness that the firebender tried to play off with his newfound politeness. 

For old times sake, Appa bellowed a roar that made Zuko stumble back on instinct but instead of preparing for a fight like the others, the bison gave a playful lick to show he didn’t mean any harm by it. He gave another sloppier lick at Zuko’s head to mess with the much longer hair that partially hid his eyes. He would’ve been unrecognizable if it weren’t for the scar and piercing gold eyes. They were less piercing now and more bright with nerves, occasionally darting away and back to the others’ faces. 

He was avoiding Appa’s gaze again and carried on talking as if Appa hadn’t just given him the warmest welcome. If it weren’t for Zuko’s burning ears and the way he tried and failed to look unaffected as he wiped his face, Appa would’ve thought he hadn’t licked him at all. 

He sat down and patiently watched their heated exchange. Katara and Sokka were the most vocal about their dissent to the firebender’s sudden arrival but Aang was looking back and forth between him and Zuko. Aang stared into the large, trusting eyes of his bison. Appa blinked back at the puzzlement on Aang’s face but gave no other indication of moving away from Zuko, their sworn enemy. 

Appa’s attention was stolen when Zuko fervently waved his arms towards the bison and he gave another lick to settle the firebender’s nerves. It didn’t work and Katara and Sokka were working themselves up more than usual which made Appa finally pay attention to what they were saying. 

_Things are not looking favorable for Zuko _, Appa concluded, but even if his animal instincts felt at ease while closely observing Zuko, the others still clearly felt threatened and his family came first. He also could not forget Zuko’s involvement in Aang’s near death. Katara had swore the firebender’s name for weeks while Aang remained unconscious.__

____

____

_Zuko would have to prove himself. ___

____

____

This was Appa’s final thought as he watched Zuko retreat from their company, soaked and thoroughly rebuffed. 

It didn’t take long for Zuko to return and convince the others to accept him. More out of necessity than friendliness but it had to start somewhere. Appa was almost disappointed that he wasn’t present to see it but he was more terrified when he returned from a foraging trip in the forest to the crumbled remains of their campsite. 

After counting heads and giving Aang a thorough examination that had him laughing again at the excessive snuffs, Appa wandered over to where Zuko was lounging by himself. The firebender was trying to appear relaxed but Appa has been around enough awkward teenagers to know better. 

Zuko sat up quickly when he saw Appa ambling over. He looked nervously at the sky bison but less out of a present danger and more in preparation for—

_Sllllrp! ___

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____

Zuko made a loud protest at the sloppy lick Appa greeted him with. His bangs stuck straight up before slapping down wetly onto his face. Zuko also noticed Aang was eyeing him warily and in response he flushed in embarrassment at being caught off guard. 

Appa was oblivious to this exchange. He was more interested in the newest addition to their team rather than to inspect what usual thing the others would be doing. As he settled down to remain in the firebender’s company, Zuko eventually took the cue to sit back as well. 

“Um,” Zuko said after a moment, “I am going to teach the Avatar firebending. From now on.”

Appa rumbled in reply. 

Another uninterrupted moment and Zuko hesitantly reached out a hand and gently patted Appa’s head. The bison gave a throaty hum. 

“He likes it better to have his fur combed.”

Zuko snatched back his hand and stared up in surprise at Aang’s sudden appearance. The two stared at each other until Aang spoke again.

“See, like this.” Aang demonstrated by raking his fingers through the long ends of Appa’s fur between his horns. He kept petting Appa’s head until Zuko copied after him. Appa practically melted at the attention. 

True to his nature, Appa freely and easily adapted to the addition of Zuko to his daily routine. He didn’t see it as any different as having The Duke, Haru, or Teo in his presence. In fact, it seemed Zuko was doing the most compared to the others to care after Appa. If Zuko wasn’t training with Aang then he was often found near the bison. 

Appa didn’t know his constant presence was because Sokka and Katara were trying to push the unwanted chores onto Zuko as petty retribution but Zuko found he didn’t mind fetching the hay for Appa’s meals or sweeping up fur or starting the cooking fire. Zuko preferred to not be idle and he felt most at ease around the large bison. He even offered to give Appa a bath that led to Sokka jumping up defensively and accusing Zuko of trying to replace him much to the confusion of the firebender and to the exasperation of Katara. 

Despite their turbulent history and eventual alliance, Appa was overall happy that Zuko fell alongside them. He brought an unexpected service to the group that Appa had always tried to fill on his own. Bringing them comfort. If he had tried to tell Aang that Zuko would be one of their greatest sources of comfort, Aang would’ve laughed himself into the next Avatar cycle. But whereas Appa comforted with snuggles and licks, Zuko brought it as an unintentional outcome from reckless determination that surpassed any well-meaning hug. 

To see Aang dance gracefully as any airbender could but with the embrace of fire in his routine when mere days ago he rejected that part of himself. To watch Sokka be wrapped in a crushing hug with his father after believing he wouldn’t ever again after the failed invasion he took the burden of. To witness the grief that Katara held in her heart be unleashed in unforgiving waves so that it could finally be solaced for once. 

Appa had never felt lighter as he flew the team to wherever they needed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I love Appa so much and I plan on writing more stories in the future. Exploring his POV was a fun take.  
> As a bonus, here's a small scene I had to take out because it didn't fit in the story:  
> "Iroh’s hand at Zuko’s shoulder jolted him back to his senses and current situation. The sound of several people running towards their location grew louder as they neared. They need to leave now. As Zuko turned wordlessly to the door he missed Iroh’s muffled snicker at the damp spot pressed onto the front of Zuko’s chest where the bison had nudged him over."


End file.
